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Any chance of a natural PG after a failed vasectomy reversal?

I am wondering whether it is possible for me to get pregnant naturally by my DH after a failed vasectomy reversal. I know that sounds like a daft question, but given that the reversal attempted to re-attach the tubes, is it not possible for the odd sperm to slip through even though the join may not be 'watertight'?

We didn't get any information about DH's SA. We were simply told that the reversal had failed. Does that mean that absolutely nothing gets through or could it be that not enough gets through to make pregnancy a realistic possibility?

I ask because I have felt particularly fertile since my chemical pregnancy from ICSI (with SSR) in January and DH and I have been at 'it' like rabbits recently (including a marathon Valentine's weekend....sorry TMI) and I just feel like now is a good time for me to fall pregnant naturally if DH can produce the vital ingredient!

RE: Any chance of a natural PG after a failed vasectomy reversal?

Hi,

I would imagine that by saying that the reversal attempt had 'failed' they were meaning that no sperm had ever been detected in his ejaculate, when specimens were tested. It is not totally out of the question that there is a partial connection which allows for the possibility of some getting through occasionally. But the chances would be quite slim of this happening just at the right time in your cycle, and of all the other hit and miss fertility factors coming together in your favour, to produce a pregnancy for you. Not absolutely nil, but sufficiently unlikely that it is not something that I feel you could plan your family on, to put it frankly.

After a reversal attempt, sperm can start to appear as soon as six weeks later, or take as long as 3-4 months to appear and maximise. However if there are no sperm detetcable by six months later, then the operation has not been successful. You could try for a second reversal attempt. These can be successful where the surgeon is particularly experienced, and where he operates using a magnifying loupe.

You could talk to the original reversal surgeon about what he found during that operation, and what vas he feels would be available for a second attempt. Also about what he means by 'failed'. In the meantime though you could do a couple more semen examinations, and of course a pregnancy test if you have any odd cycles/periods.

Many thanks for your response. This is definitely not something we are counting on - we are already planning ICSI #2 in May - but I was just curious.

There is no chance of us talking to the original surgeon. He allowed his secretary to communicate the results of the SA to us by text message. When we complained about the cavalier manner in which he had allowed this devestating news to be communicated to us he responded by email to say that he was sorry we were upset about the outcome but BTW he'd been successful on other occasions!!!! We have had no direct contact since.

I don't think my husband could endure another reversal as he found it dreadfully painful the first time and he has had pain in his testicles ever since (over a year ago)! So, we are left with ICSI and feel quite positive about it since I have no known fertility problems and we managed a chemical pregnancy first time round. We are aiming to be much less stressed next time now that we know what to expect.

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he found it dreadfully painful the first time and he has had pain in his testicles ever since (over a year ago)!

Such continued pain should be investigated. There may be a nerve trapped in some scar tissue, or misaligned when tidying up the operative area. Or a piece of internal suture that did not dissolve, or a blood clot similarly, which can then press on a nerve. Does his pain vary as to what position he is in, or on movement?

I feel that DH should see a Urologist (preferably not the original one!), and be examined, as the nerve can be dissected out of the scar tissue, and the pain be remedied.

RE: Any chance of a natural PG after a failed vasectomy reversal?

Hey there NW, sorry to hear your news abt the reversal.
My DH also had a reversal in July last year and when tested in November we were told that it was unsuccessful and that there were no live sperm getting through at all. Although the two ends of the vas deferens tubes were joined successfully, the tiny tubes in the epidydimis (sp?) which store the sperm were so blocked with dead sperm that it was virtually impossible for any fresh ones to pass. This was because it'd been 13 years since the reversal.
He had another sample tested 10 days ago with the same result. We're now starting IVF and he will need a small surgical procedure to remove sperm direct from the testicle at the point I have my egg collection done, then ICSI. Not nearly as much fun as doing it naturally but just hoping it all works.
Good luck with it all!